Vietnam, Cambodia beef up cooperation in search of soldier remains hinh anh 1At the 16th meeting of the Vietnamese and Cambodian Governments' Special Working Committees (Photo: VNA)

HCM City (VNA) – Vietnam and Cambodia have agreed to step up cooperation in searching and repatriating remains of Vietnamese voluntary soldiers and experts who laid down their lives in Cambodia during the wartime.

The consensus was reached at the 16th meeting of the Special Working Committees of the Vietnamese and Cambodian Governments held in Ho Chi Minh City on September 6.

Sen. Lieut. Gen. Le Chiem, Deputy Minister of National Defence and Chairman of the Vietnamese Government’s Special Working Committee, spoke highly of the Cambodian side’s effective coordination in the work.

During the 2016-2017 dry season, relevant agencies of the two nations coordinated to search for and repatriate 758 remains of fallen Vietnamese soldiers, he said.

General Pol Saroeun, Commander-in-Chief of the Royal Cambodian Armed Forces who is also Chairman of the Cambodian Government’s Special Working Committee, affirmed that Cambodia will join Vietnam’s efforts in the field, contributing to the reinforcement of the bilateral friendship and cooperation.

The Cambodian committee pledged to direct military sub-regions to partner with Vietnamese search and repatriation teams to address any arising issues.

The two sides agreed to increase communication campaigns and encourage people from all walks of life to provide relevant information.

On this occasion, the Vietnamese Government’s Special Working Committee handed over expenses for the Cambodian counterpart to conduct search and repatriation activities in the 2017-2018 dry season.-VNA

VNA